Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Social Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of social housing to meet need (a) nationally and (b) in York.

Lee Rowley: The government has given local councils freedom to manage their own waiting lists, so they can decide who should qualify for social housing in their area and develop solutions that make best use of the social housing stock.Since 2010, more than 574,000 affordable homes have been delivered, including 154,600 for social rent. A further £11.5 billion of taxpayer subsidy is being made available to build affordable homes over 5 years with £8.6 billion of that already allocated. Between 2010 and 2021 there were over 1,400 affordable homes delivered in York. Over 900 of these were for affordable and social rent.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

EU Law

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Department is responsible for the proposed Brexit Freedoms Bill, and what plans he has to introduce the Bill to Parliament.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Department is responsible for overseeing the review of those items of retained EU law listed in the REUL interactive dashboard.

Dean Russell: The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 22 September 2022. Machinery of Government changes are a matter for my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the conflict in Ethiopia will next be discussed at the UN Security Council; and what steps he is taking with international counterparts to secure further discussion on that conflict.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is supporting efforts to secure a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the return to conflict in Ethiopia. The UK also raised the situation in Ethiopia during a UN Security Council discussion on conflict and hunger on 15 September.The UK has been heavily involved in international efforts to de-escalate conflict, stressing the need for a political solution, humanitarian access and accountability for atrocities. We are now urging both parties to deliver on their commitments to end the conflict peacefully and to begin African Union-led peace talks. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa is engaging with all parties to the conflict to deliver these messages.

Ministry of Defence

National Flagship: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if it remains his policy to spend £250 million of his Department’s funding on a national flagship.

Mr Ben Wallace: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2022 to Question number 47477 to the right hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry).

Armenia: Azerbaijan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the dates of his meetings with his Armenian counterpart on tensions between their country and Azerbaijan since 1 January 2022.

Mr Ben Wallace: I have not met with my Armenian counterpart in 2022. However, in calls with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 15 September, former Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Leo Docherty), reinforced the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to substantive negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The United Kingdom will continue to work with both parties in the coming months to support efforts to secure regional stability and security.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the dates of his meetings with his Azerbaijani counterpart on tensions between that country and Armenia since 1 January 2022.

Mr Ben Wallace: I have not met with my Azerbaijani counterpart in 2022. The Armed Forces Minister (James Heappey) met with Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Defence Minister Hasanov during a visit to Baku on 30 March 2022. During those engagements the UK maintained its support for the territorial integrity and independence of Azerbaijan whilst underlining the importance of UN and OSCE principles governing relations between member states. Minister Heappey subsequently met with the Azerbaijani Ambassador on 14 June.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the dates of his meetings with his Turkish counterpart on tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1 January 2022.

Mr Ben Wallace: I meet regularly with my Turkish counterpart Minister Akar. Our last face to face meeting was in Ankara on 23 June 2022. I regularly discuss a range of topics with my counterpart.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Allotments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the contribution of allotments to communities; and what steps he plans to take to promote allotments through the planning system.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on a range of issues.HM Government recognises the importance of access to local green spaces including allotments, community gardens and orchards. They can help to bring about long-term improvements in people's health and wellbeing and promote local social interaction, as well as providing wider benefits for nature and the environment.The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space and opportunities for new provision, which can include allotments, and their plans should then seek to accommodate this.

Parakeets

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of ring-fenced parakeets on other native wildlife.

Trudy Harrison: Defra has assessed the impact of ring-necked parakeets on native bird species. In 2021, Defra commissioned the Animal and Plant Health Agency to review the scientific evidence underpinning the General Licences authorising the control of wild birds in England. There is sufficient evidence of an impact of ring-necked parakeets on wild birds and other fauna of conservation concern to warrant their inclusion as a target species on the General Licence to kill or take wild birds for conservation purposes. This impact is largely due to competition for nest sites with native cavity-nesting birds and aggressive attacks on bats. Individuals do not need to apply for a General Licence but if carrying out lethal control under a General Licence then they must comply with the conditions set out in the licence.

Trees: Bristol

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is providing support to Bristol City Council for (a) managing and (b) increasing the overall population of trees in and surrounding Bristol.

Trudy Harrison: Our England Trees Action Plan (ETAP), published in May 2021, sets out the long-term, generational vision for trees and forestry to 2050. ETAP details how we will treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, contributing to 30,000 hectares of new trees per year across the UK by 2025. The Plan is supported by the £675 million Nature for Climate Fund. Defra supports local authorities’ tree planting through access to several of the Nature for Climate Fund grant schemes including: up to £4.4 million available to local communities through the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF) to plant and establish new trees, which includes a c.£250,000 Bristol scheme;the ground-breaking Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund, which will have a total value of just under £8 million to provide financial support to local authorities to increase their capacity and specialist skills;confirming £6 million over the next two years for the Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) with a target to support the planting of 150,000 large trees in towns and cities across England;Defra contributing towards the £9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund, which will create over 100 new parks to ensure access to green space in urban areas. The UTCF and LATF schemes’ combined aim is to not only add, but also maintain hundreds of thousands of trees in our towns and cities. The ETAP also further details how HM Government will ensure the protection and management of trees to deliver more for society, nature, the climate, and the economy.

Water Companies: Pollution

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to deter directors of water companies from contravening legislation on sewage dumping.

Trudy Harrison: We have increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network from 5% in 2016 to almost 90% now, and we will reach 100% cover by end of next year. Following new data coming to light as a result of increased monitoring, the regulators (the Environment Agency and Ofwat) have launched the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever, at over 2200 treatment works. We have been clear with the regulators that they should not hesitate to use their existing statutory powers to hold companies to account. For example, this can include criminal prosecution by the Environment Agency for which there can be unlimited fines. Since 2015, the Environment Agency has brought 54 prosecutions against water companies, securing fines of almost £140 million. The Environment Secretary also held a call with water company chief executives on his first day in office, to outline that their current performance is not good enough, and that customers and the environment deserve better. We asked all water companies to write to HM Government on how they will significantly improve their environmental performance and are now working with them to establish where they can do more, and opportunities to speed up delivery.

Cats: Imports

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a ban on the import of (a) kittens under six months of age, (b) pregnant cats that are more than 42 days pregnant and (c) cats that have been declawed.

Scott Mann: The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced to the House of Commons following the Queen’s Speech in May 2022 and will progress as parliamentary time allows. The Bill includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.In August 2021, HM Government launched a consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. The consultation sought views on whether maintaining the existing requirements in relation to cats was the right approach. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders prior to the introduction of the legislation, to ensure that our final measures are well considered and led by the latest evidence.

Pets: Cost of Living

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the rising cost of living on the number of family pets being taken to pet refuges.

Scott Mann: We appreciate the important work that responsible animal rescue and rehoming organisations do, often on a voluntary basis, to ensure that animals taken into the care of these organisations are offered the opportunity of a forever home. HM Government is actively considering the impact of rising living costs on all aspects of people’s lives. We are engaging with animal welfare organisations on an ongoing basis to understand issues and trends affecting the sector, including the rising cost of living, and we welcome the support the sector is providing people during these times.

Horticulture: Heating

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to help support glasshouse growers to heat their greenhouses in the context of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Mark Spencer: HM Government Food Strategy published in June this year acknowledges the important role of industrial horticulture, including the contribution of glasshouse crop production in ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh produce throughout the year. Growth of this sector would boost home-grown fruit and vegetable production, help future-proof the sector in a warming climate and create new skilled job opportunities. HM Government Food Strategy explains that industrial horticulture will be considered alongside other manufacturing sectors in decisions on industrial energy policy and that we will also incentivise the sector to make use of surplus heat and CO2 from industrial processes, and renewable sources of energy. HM Government is developing a Horticulture Strategy for England which will explore how controlled environment horticulture can be supported. In recognition of significant increases in energy costs, we have recently announced that businesses, charities and public sector organisations will be protected through HM Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme from October over the next six months. This support discounts price per unit of gas and electricity, meaning businesses and others will pay wholesale energy costs well below half of expected prices this winter.